Flair For 17th-century Fashion

It's hard enough to find a size 17 men's shoe. Now imagine trying to find one that's true to what a colonist would have donned in 1607: boxy, crafted from deer or elk hide and with no discernable difference between right and left.

That was the task faced last year by Korry Simpson, the supervisor at Jamestown Settlement's costume shop.

"I called every vendor and they all laughed. They didn't say no, they just laughed," she said. "There are not that many 17th-century shoe vendors. I wondered what we'd do."

The Jamestown Settlement had a wardrobe budget of around $40,000 for this fiscal year, which included a gala commemoration earlier this month of the 400th anniversary of the America's first permanent English colony, founded in 1607.

Costumed interpreters give visitors to Jamestown a sense that they've stepped back in time to experience history firsthand. But somebody has to dress all those scene-setters.

It's all in a day's work for the costume shop crew. They dress about 400 interpreters, including about 150 who were added for the anniversary festivities.

The shop finds, makes, dyes and mends shirts, skirts, bodices, stockings, garters, hats and more. When a new employee is hired, the shop has about two weeks to make or find a full set of clothes. Clothes in the storeroom may not be the right size or fit. Nevertheless, from buttons to breeches, the final outfit always matches the style, fabric and color of clothing worn in the 17th century.

"As far as I know, we don't have anything on site that is inaccurate," said Simpson. "(Job candidates) are told that during the interview process

that you're going to be outside in historically accurate clothing that is linen and wool. Wool if it's available, otherwise you might be outside in a snowstorm in linen. The pieces are non-negotiable. You have to be accurate."

When it came to locating that size 17 shoe, Simpson finally found a shoemaker willing to create a custom pair.

The Jamestown costume shop confirms the historical accuracy of clothing in much the same way historians confirm the accuracy of past events: through primary sources such as paintings or objects from the time period being studied.

"The pieces look so bad that sometimes people say stuff like, 'Can you get them new costume pieces?' But it looks like we excavated people from the real Jamestown and took their costume piece, it really does," Simpson said.

One of the main challenges of working with period clothing is that it wears out more easily than modern styles, which tend to contain synthetic fabrics.

Another challenge is getting people over the discomfort of some clothing pieces. Shoes are especially uncomfortable -- "like putting on a box," said Simpson -- and men's pants should be worn over the stomach. But for the most part, Jamestown interpreters are dedicated history buffs who readily sacrifice comfort for accuracy.

"I think the special thing about working here ... is the mission, and that is to educate the public about American history," said Leonard Grigonis, an exhibits maintenance worker. "Being part of that is very exciting and rewarding." *

SEE FOR YOURSELF

The World of 1607, a special exhibition portraying Jamestown and Virginia as part of an intellectual, social and economic "new world," is on exhibit at the Jamestown Settlement through April 2008.

More information: http://historyisfun.org

GETTING DRESSED IN JAMESTOWN

Typical 1607 female outfit

* Shift

* Bumroll: A sort of small pillow worn around the buttocks to assist in developing the proper small-waisted silhouette of the period

* Stays: A boned undergarment for structure, silhouette and support

* Bodice: An outer layer of unstructured fabric that conceals the stays underneath

* Stockings

* Shoes

* Garters: To hold stockings in place

* Coif: A small linen piece of cloth used as a head covering

* Flat-brimmed hat of knitted wool or linen twill

* Straw hat: Depending upon the season

* Apron

* Ladies doublet: A shirt with sleeves that can be tied on or off at the shoulder